2022 Senior Appreciation Post

2022 Senior Appreciation Post

This year 3 Seniors graduated from SOUNDS Academy. We talked with them to see what plans they have for the future and how being in SOUNDS Academy helped them prepare for this next chapter of their lives. 

Angie Pineda (right)

Angie Pineda

Q: What instrument do you play and how long have you been playing it?

A: I play the piano. I have been playing the piano since I was little but I started taking classes with SOUNDS 2 years ago.  

Q: What is your favorite thing about playing an instrument?

A: My favorite thing about playing piano is that it eases all the stress and tension of my daily school life. My favorite thing about music is that it’s a gateway to release both stress and emotions.  

Q: How has music affected your life?

A: Music has given me a closer connection to the cultural and moral aspects of my life.  

Q: Who is one person who has inspired you?

A: The one person who inspires me is my mother because she has been through so much and has still fought to give me the best life I deserve. She is a fighter and that has motivated me to follow in her footsteps.  

Q: Who is your teacher and what is your favorite thing about her?

A: Aejin Ham is my piano teacher. I love that she is very understanding, patient and sweet to everyone around her. I get nervous when I am playing but she has such peace surrounding her, it makes me feel calm. 

Q: How did you get into SOUNDS Academy? 

A: I got into SOUNDS Academy through my younger sister, Sarah Pineda. She has been in SOUNDS for 7 years. I followed her footsteps into learning more about music.  

Juries 2022 Angie Pineda

Q: What is your favorite thing about SOUNDS Academy and how has SOUNDS Academy helped you to become a better person?

A: My favorite thing about SOUNDS Academy is that I have the chance to get an enriched musical experience with no financial boundaries. I was given the opportunity to play piano thanks to the sponsors for SOUNDS. 

SOUNDS Academy has given me the opportunity to use music as an outlet; it has also helped me become a better person, leader and contributor in my community.

Q: What advice would you give someone interested in joining SOUNDS Academy or learning to play a new instrument?  

A: The advice I would give to someone going into SOUNDS Academy is to absolutely join this wonderful program! SOUNDS will give you the opportunity to become a better musician without any location or financial boundaries. Not only that but we get closer to our community by playing in concerts, showcasing our musical gifts. 

Q: What is one thing you’re excited to do after you graduate? 

A: I am excited to begin my journey into Medical Studies and be one step closer to my career. I hope to become a Pediatric Oncologist – Hematologist which is a doctor for kids with cancer. I want to pursue this career because I want to be able to give those children another shot at life.  

Q: Anything else you want to tell us? 

A: While I’m in college I plan to be an active member of SOUNDS Academy by volunteering for events like the SOUNDS Academy Summer Camp.

Angie is pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Medical Studies at Arizona State University! 

Lily Moreno: 

Q: What instrument do you play and how long have you been playing it? 

A: I have played piano for 12 years.

Q: What is your favorite thing about playing an instrument and how has music affected your life? 

A: I have been a musician for most of my life and I really enjoy the feeling of accomplishment I get when I play the piano.  Even just listening to music allows me to appreciate the other performers for their hard work and perseverance. 

Q: Who is one person who has inspired you? 

A: I do not have only one person in my life who has inspired me to play piano, I have two-my parents. They both have so much love for music but did not have the opportunity to become musicians, so they inspired me to become the best pianist I can be. 

Juries 2022 Lily Moreno

Lily Moreno

Q: Who is your teacher and what is your favorite thing about her? 

A: Mrs. Kendra Jack was my teacher until I graduated from SOUNDS Academy. She was the best teacher I ever had. She understood how busy I had become completing my final year of high school yet she still encouraged me to be the best version of a pianist I can be. Mrs. Kendra is my role model; she is so caring and kind to me. No matter my mood before lessons, she always had the perfect combination of words that would encourage me and make me smile.  

Q: How did you get into SOUNDS Academy? 

A: My younger sister Zinnia Moreno, who plays the violin, was already a member of SOUNDS Academy so my journey with SOUNDS began when I was introduced by my mother to the group class for piano and later the SOLO program.

Q: What is your favorite thing about SOUNDS Academy and how has SOUNDS Academy helped you to become a better person? 

A: What I enjoy most about SOUNDS Academy is the importance of the character values. I believe that this program is more than just learning how to read sheet music. It’s about how to grow your character into a creative leader with perseverance and resilience that could overcome challenges by working in a team.  

Throughout my years at SOUNDS Academy, I have noticed that I have made some changes for the better. I have become more perseverant and resilient during tough moments, during piano lessons and life in general, like overcoming the grief from a sudden death of a family member.

 Throughout all my embarrassment of knowing the piece by heart yet not overcoming performance jitters, I never once paused or fled during a performance. I persevered in my practices and therefore I was able to persevere through two more minutes of my time on stage. I have already lost count of the number of times I have messed up during a performance and continued playing because SOUNDS Academy has taught me to persevere and perseverance has helped me to become a better musician. Thank you, SOUNDS Academy, for helping me become a better musician and person.  

Q: What advice would you give someone interested in joining SOUNDS Academy or learning a new instrument?  

A: My best advice I could give to SOUNDS students is: “No matter how small you may feel in front of that intimidating sheet music or vacant stage, no one can measure your character in one performance”. 

Q: What is one thing you’re excited to do after you graduate? 

A: I am really excited to begin learning about physiology and becoming involved in my community at the University of Arizona. In the future, I want to become a dentist and encourage others to practice good hygiene and healthy habits.  

Q: Anything else you want to tell us? 

A: I would like to thank SOUNDS Academy for the education that they gave me as a pianist as well as a person. 

Lily is pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Physiology at the University of Arizona! 

Winter Recitals 2022 Caleb Simpson

Caleb Simpson: 

Q: What instrument do you play and how long have you played it? 

A: I play guitar and I have played for 6 years I started with SOUNDS at the beginning of high school. My aunt told my mom about the program. My mom thought it would be a good idea for me to have an afterschool activity. 

Q: What is your favorite thing about playing an instrument and how has music affected your life? 

A: I like the diversity and the skills that I can get from playing guitar and from music in general. Music really helped with my anxiety and gave me something to focus on when I had a stressful week. It really helped me in the long run. I have friends and family who are also musicians and I was able to learn from them 

Q: Who is one person who has inspired you? 

A: There are several people, Phillips a guitarist who really inspired me and my parents who were especially supportive when I started learning guitar 

Q: Who is your teacher and what is your favorite thing about him? 

A: My teacher was David Espinoza. One thing I really enjoyed was that he was able to simplify the music enough that it sounded good when I played. He was able to make the music I wanted to play easier for me and taught me that there was no shame in slowing down.

2022 SOUNDS Summer Camp Caleb Simspon

Q: What is your favorite thing about SOUNDS Academy and how has SOUNDS Academy helped you to become a better person?  

A: I like the variety of options we have that allow us to use our music skills through all of SOUNDS Academy’s programs. I enjoyed being able to play with other musicians in SOUNDS.  

SOUNDS Academy gave me valuable advice. Through the character values I learned to slow down when I needed to and how to use the character values while I’m in college and in the future. If I had to pick 1 value it would have to be perseverance. Learning from past experiences what I did right and what I need to change to make improvements. 

Q: What advice would you give someone interested in joining SOUNDS Academy or learning a new instrument? 

A: The biggest advice I would give is don’t complicate it too much. That will only make it less enjoyable and drain you too much. Music is more about enjoying yourself than playing well.  

Q: What is one thing you’re excited to do after you graduate? 

A: I am excited to be able to use SOUNDS Academy’s character values to get through college. 

Q: Do you have any future plans or dreams that you would like to accomplish? 

A: I would like to expand on how I can use the character values while in college, play with more people and learn from the experience I got from SOUNDS. 

Caleb is pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering at Northern Arizona University!